<p>Bengaluru: There seems to be no end to the troubles caused by the violations in the execution of the Yettinahole project, with the state government finding itself in a spot for changing 34.42 acres of land earlier identified for compensatory afforestation (CA).</p>.<p>As per the law, agencies utilising forest land have to provide equal extent of land. Accordingly, land was identified in Challakere taluk, Chitradurga district, in 2015, and the same was approved. However, the state government in July 2016 sought to change it to the land in Arasikere taluk, Hassan district, as per the request of the user-agency, the Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Limited (KNNL).</p>.<p>The state government in August 2016 again stated that the user-agency has agreed to stick to the previously proposed CA land in Chitradurga district. Based on this, the regional committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) recommended final (stage II) clearance for the project, with specific conditions to raise compensatory afforestation and to mutate the land as reserved forest.</p>.Centre creating hurdles for Yettinahole project: D K Shivakumar.<p><strong>U-turn</strong></p>.<p>The state government once again wrote to the committee in August 2025, stating that the CA land has been changed to the patch in Hassan district and requesting post facto approval for the same. This was backed by a letter by the deputy conservator of forests, stating that plantation activities have “already been carried out in the newly identified CA land” in 2019-2020.</p>.<p>Deliberating on the matter in the latest meeting, the committee noted that the change of land came to light while the regional office was monitoring the compliance to conditions listed in the final approval and pointed out the violation. “The non-compliance observed was communicated to the state forest department and also to the MoEF&CC along with the site inspection report of the 2nd phase of Yettinahole project, which involves diversion of further 111.0277 ha (274.35 acres),” the committee noted.</p>.<p>The committee noted that while the newly proposed CA land was mutated as forest in 2017 and afforestation was carried out in 2018-19, it was included as a deemed forest in 2022. It asked the government to resubmit the proposal with details of action taken to notify the land as mutated forest and evidence to show that the afforestation was carried out to comply with the conditions for the proposal.</p>.<p>Further, the committee noted that the matter involves violation due to excess utilisation of forest land other than that which was accorded approval. “The state government shall submit the proposal to the MoEF&CC along with the details of the excess forest land utilised, after conducting a detailed survey of the said land in the presence of the user-agency. The name of the erring officials and the detailed action taken by the state government on the said violation may also be submitted,” it said.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: There seems to be no end to the troubles caused by the violations in the execution of the Yettinahole project, with the state government finding itself in a spot for changing 34.42 acres of land earlier identified for compensatory afforestation (CA).</p>.<p>As per the law, agencies utilising forest land have to provide equal extent of land. Accordingly, land was identified in Challakere taluk, Chitradurga district, in 2015, and the same was approved. However, the state government in July 2016 sought to change it to the land in Arasikere taluk, Hassan district, as per the request of the user-agency, the Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Limited (KNNL).</p>.<p>The state government in August 2016 again stated that the user-agency has agreed to stick to the previously proposed CA land in Chitradurga district. Based on this, the regional committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) recommended final (stage II) clearance for the project, with specific conditions to raise compensatory afforestation and to mutate the land as reserved forest.</p>.Centre creating hurdles for Yettinahole project: D K Shivakumar.<p><strong>U-turn</strong></p>.<p>The state government once again wrote to the committee in August 2025, stating that the CA land has been changed to the patch in Hassan district and requesting post facto approval for the same. This was backed by a letter by the deputy conservator of forests, stating that plantation activities have “already been carried out in the newly identified CA land” in 2019-2020.</p>.<p>Deliberating on the matter in the latest meeting, the committee noted that the change of land came to light while the regional office was monitoring the compliance to conditions listed in the final approval and pointed out the violation. “The non-compliance observed was communicated to the state forest department and also to the MoEF&CC along with the site inspection report of the 2nd phase of Yettinahole project, which involves diversion of further 111.0277 ha (274.35 acres),” the committee noted.</p>.<p>The committee noted that while the newly proposed CA land was mutated as forest in 2017 and afforestation was carried out in 2018-19, it was included as a deemed forest in 2022. It asked the government to resubmit the proposal with details of action taken to notify the land as mutated forest and evidence to show that the afforestation was carried out to comply with the conditions for the proposal.</p>.<p>Further, the committee noted that the matter involves violation due to excess utilisation of forest land other than that which was accorded approval. “The state government shall submit the proposal to the MoEF&CC along with the details of the excess forest land utilised, after conducting a detailed survey of the said land in the presence of the user-agency. The name of the erring officials and the detailed action taken by the state government on the said violation may also be submitted,” it said.</p>